Pine Frost
This is for Petal's contest of it gets approved, if not, then well, I'll write it xD Prologue It was a dark, cold night. The leaves above rustled, and the trees danced. A storm was brewing. "Hiss..." One, pale she-cat froze. "Who's there?" She glanced terrified at the trees around her. She wished she was under open sky, like back at home on the moors. "Hiss..." It came again. The she-cat froze, whispering. "Whoever you are, tell me what you need, and go." She was shivering. "Hiss..." Over and over the she-cat heard the noise. She shrank back in fear, murmuring. "StarClan, please help me." "Hiss..." And it came again and again. The she-cat wailed in fear, and then... "Give up... Your kits are mine..." "No!" "But you know who I am... I'm someone who is special to the kits." The pale she-cat snarled. "They aren't born yet. Come back next moon when they're born." Eyes flashed in the dark. "Not born yet? You told me they would come in a moon." Hissing, a brown tom appeared. "Why are they not born yet?" Terrified, the she-cat backed away. "Because I estimated wrong. I didn't know that they would come late." She eyed the tom warily. His yellow eyes searched the floor. "I smell milk. If you're kits aren't born, how do you have milk." The she-cat lifted her chin. "Don't you know? A pregnant queen can produce milk before the young'uns are born, that way they can feed the moment they are born." "A moon before?" The tom slithered closer. "Explain that to me Paleflutter." "Snakeheart, you aren't welcome." Paleflutter snarled. "The Clan will shred you if you are found." She continued to back away. Snakeheart eyed the bushes, and noticed something. "You've been hiding them." He snarled. "You're belly has shrunk. And the milk scent is clear. The kits have been born, and you just want time to bring them away." "If the Clan finds you, then they'll shred you!" She warned, but she quivered in fear. "Oh really." Malice glittered in the tom's eyes. "Then why are you not at the moors, where you belong?" "Because..." "Because what." "Because..." She stopped. There wasn't any way she could get out of this. "Snakeheart, you said you didn't want the kits. Your kits." "I change my mind. Give them over." Paleflutter challenged him. "And what are you going to do with them?" "Take them in as their father. What else?" "Why don't you live with me, so we can watch them together?" He bared his teeth. "Isn't it obvious? You don't trust me. And I can't trust you. No, I have to take them myself. If you don't give them over, I'll take them by force." Paleflutter shook her head. "You can't. They're in the Nursery." "And you?" "Out here." He swung his tail in a wide arc, and hissed. "Hurry and run Paleflutter. Because I'm getting the kits now." She hissed. "Watch your own tail, the Clan will be watching the kits closely." And then she ran. Our into the night. Away from her beloved kits, and her own, cruel mate. Chapter One "Hurry! Snakeheart is waiting!" Shadowpaw stretched, and yawned. "Wait Pinepaw, I'm coming." Frostpaw laughed, "You lazy paw!" She danced away as Shadowpaw raked her muzzle. "Wait until one day you can't get up, then we'll see who's the lazy paw!" "I wish it wasn't a father and kit thing, then I could come with you!" Frostpaw sighed, nuzzling Shadowpaw in the shoulder. Shadowpaw muttered. "I wish you'd come too, our family stuff aren't exactly pleasant." She stalked out before Frostpaw could answer. Knowing that Snakeheart's lectures were long, Shadowpaw hurried to the fresh-kill pile for a quick snack. Pinepaw was shuffling his feet, and urging Shadowpaw to hurry. "You know Snakeheart! He won't want us to be late!" "I know, I know..." Shadowpaw muttered, still stuffing her stomach with prey. Licking her lips, she groaned. "Let's go." The two littermates dashed through the forest, feeling the solid ground hit their paws as they flew across to the undergrowth. "What took you so long." Snakeheart hissed. "You should have been here at dawn so you can get back at sunrise." "We're sorry Snakeheart." The two muttered. Snakeheart was part of ThunderClan too, but he didn't always spend his time there. "You know what I want." They nodded. Shadowpaw clawed the ground, always wondering why that were forced to do this. "Find evidence that she left. Go now!" Shadowpaw hurried towards the lake, knowing she hadn't checked their before. Pinepaw hurried after her, and Snakeheart dragged her back. "Shadowpaw. Check the moors. Pinepaw can check the lake." She nodded, backing away hurriedly. Even if Snakeheart was her father, she didn't really like his company. And Shadowpaw wanted to know what happened to her mother, which was half the reason why Snakeheart wanted to find evidence that she was gone. He didn't want her here. Why? Shadowpaw didn't have a clue. "Shadowpaw!" She flinched back. "Who are you?" A tom slid out of the bushes. "I am Gray. And I've heard about you." Now that was creepy. "Heard about me? From who?" His gaze bore into mine. "From the one who calls herself Paleflutter." I stared at him. "Paleflutter?" He nodded, still gazing at me intensly. "Correct. She wanted to meet you." "No." A hiss sounded from behind Shadowpaw. She froze, knowing who was behind her. "No. She will not meet Shadowpaw. Not with my permission." Gray looked up, and met Snakeheart's gaze. "Why not? Paleflutter has a kind heart, and she insisted to meet her daughter." Shadowpaw's father snarled. "She is a disgrace. She doesn't deserve to live in the Clans, and she should be demolished!" Gray stood his ground. "No. I believe she should meet her daughter. And you shall not stand in the way." Snakeheart only sneered. "And how will you stop me messenger? How will you stop me?" Gray glared fiercely back. "I won't allow you to leave this clearing. Shadowpaw will meet her mother." "So be it." Snakeheart growled, he leapt forward, and grabbed Gray. The rogue hissed, and bit Snakeheart's paw. Howling in pain, Snakeheart slashed his claws along Gray's throat. The gray tom gurgled up blood, and lay limp on the ground. "Weakling." Snakeheart sneered in his face. "No one is going to stop me from driving Paleflutter away forever." But in her mind, Shadowpaw knew that she had to do something. She had to meet her mother, and stop Snakeheart once and for all. Or face the choices of following him as he servant. Chapter Two Pinepaw snuffled around the bushes. He knew he was supposed to look for signs of his mother, but he wanted some prey. And he wanted to return to normal Clan duties. Shinestar could do nothing to stop Snakeheart from bring Pinepaw and Shadowpaw outside. Snakeheart was the ThunderClan deputy, and he had permission from Shinestar to take his children and do what he wanted. Including hurting them. "Useless!" Snakeheart hissed. "You are useless!" Pinepaw jerked away from the brown tom, but his father cuffed him forcefully on his head. Pinepaw fell on his side, and Snakeheart slashed his paw down. "I despise you! You should be more useful like Shadowpaw." He hissed. "At least she knows how to act like a warrior." He knows. Snakeheart knows what he truly wanted. She was a perfect dream that Pinepaw had been chasing all his life. A white, pure white snowflake that lit up the world around her. But she never payed much attention to him. She was like a princess, in a higher rank than him. He would do anything to get her by his side. He wanted her to feel the way he felt. "Scum! Fight back at least!" Pinepaw's life was a horror story. He had to live with all this. Snakeheart hated him. He hated his son because all his son did was dream about that pretty Frostpaw. Snakeheart wanted to kill her. But he had to plan it slowly. To make Pinepaw suffer. "Go find your mother before I beat you to a pulp!" Nothing was worse than this. Pinepaw would rather fight against badgers than live with his father. The brown tom had a mean diposition. He didn't care what others thought. He only had to put fear in them, and they were obedient. Shinestar was easy because she feared Snakeheart. He only had to ensure that Paleflutter wasn't nearby and... Pinepaw sniffed for signs that Paleflutter was nearby. He barely remembered her scent, but alerted Snakeheart whenever new cat scent came by. All of them were signs of Paleflutter. But none of them showed where she was. He glanced back at where the moors were. He felt like it was tugging him, and he wanted to run those moors like WindClan. "Don't look over there! Isn't the forest your true home? Why don't you act like it?" It was all true. The forest felt too squished. The light was so dim here in the shady forests. Pinepaw longed for the sun to shine in his pelt, and the wind to run through his fur. He wanted to spend his day racing across the moors instead of searching for his mother. "You look ready to go." Snakeheart sneered. "Why don't you cross the border?" "Maybe I will." Pinepaw snarled, fed up with his reckless father. He smiled. "Go. Abandon your sister." She wasn't much to him. She always stood by and let Snakeheart beat him. "Abandon me." No doubt Pinepaw would do that in a heartbeat. Snakeheart was a cruel father. Pinepaw would abandon him the moment he got it. He took a step torwards the border. "Abandon Shinestar." She didn't do much for him. Shinestar was frightened of Snakeheart, and allowed him to do what he wanted. And the medicine cat was starting to become fed up with healings his injuries. She wasn't much of a hero to him. "Abandon your Clan." As far as Pinepaw knew, ThunderClan wasn't his home. It didn't help him. It didn't save him. All it did was make him suffer. Pinepaw would gladly turn his back on ThunderClan. Pinepaw was nearly over the border. "Abandon Frostpaw." Pinepaw stopped at that. He couldn't bring her across. She wouldn't do it. She loved the trees with her heart. But he couldn't leave her at the mercy of Snakeheart. He whirled around, tears getting to his eyes. "Fine." He growled. "I'll stay. But don't you dare harm Frostpaw." Snakeheart sneered. "It doesn't matter what I do. You'll get your reward when you find Paleflutter for me." Then he stalked away, leaving Pinepaw to sink to the ground, drained from fighting his father. Chapter Three Frostpaw sat in the line, waiting for her mentor to teach her a new move. But in her mind, all she could think about was who Pinepaw really was, and why his father was always taking them away. She knew that Pinepaw was brother of Shadowpaw, who was Frostpaw's best friend. They always had 'family business' and Frostpaw was beginning to hate it. She wanted to compete with friends. Not with complete strangers. "Frostpaw, do you want to have a go?" Her mentor, Firelily asked. She nodded tersely, and stepped up. Gritting her teeth, she reared up on her hindlegs, and attempted to swipe with both paws. She ended up landing hard on her side. Darkpaw sneered. "Wow! That looked like a kit fighting! Not an apprentice who's eight moons old!" Frostpaw looked away, she hated to fight, and wished she was hunting. She excelled at that, but at least she didn't gloat about her skills like Darkpaw did. The black tom reared up, and started slashing. He smirked. "I wonder why an eight moon old apprentice can't do something a seven moon apprentice can do... Maybe its because they're weak!" Frostpaw grinded her teeth, and tried to ignore him. "All you know how to do is moon over that snot!" He bribed. "What's his name? Foxdungpaw?" "It's Pinepaw." Frostpaw snarled, whirling around to face Darkpaw. "His name is Pinepaw." He laughed. "See? You love him so much that you can't even concentrate on training!" Frostpaw hated him. She despised the bully. But when his next words came out, she froze. "Foxdungpaw loves you! But he's going to kill you for his father's favor!" The snow-white apprentice whirled around. "What?" "Enough!" Firelily shouted. "Darkpaw, go to your mentor and do some training of your own style, and stop bothering Frostpaw." Darkpaw sneered at Frostpaw and started to bribe. "I'm-" His mentor Streamflight padded over and dragged him away. "Get over here Darkpaw. It's not like you're better at hunting than she is." Frostpaw glanced away, knowing she was never going to become a good fighter. Firelily crouched in front of her. "Let's go hunt, shall we?" Nodding, Frostpaw followed her mentor into the woods. "Go ahead and see what you can catch, Frostpaw." She crouched, sniffing the air. Squirrel! She chased after it, leaping up the trees and into the bushes. She the smacked her paw down, and killed the squirrel. "Impressive." A voice purred. Frostpaw whirled around, alarmed. Snakeheart, the ThunderClan deputy was standing there. "You are Shadowpaw's friend, yes?" Frostpaw nodded, eyes wide. "Oh, you're a great hunter. Would you like me to show you another way to hunt squirrels?" "And what would that be?" Frostpaw asked, enthusiastic. "You crouch in front of a tree, hidden in a bush, and then-" "Frostpaw!" Firelily yowled. The white apprentice turned to see Firelily snarling at Snakeheart. "Deputy, can I have my apprentice back?" The way she mewed the word deputy made Frostpaw's skin crawl. Snakeheart glared coldly at the warrior, and nodded tersely. "Fine. But I was only teaching her a new techique." Firelily mewed. "Yes, but that's my job is it not?" Then she curled her tail around Frostpaw and brought her back to camp. But Frostpaw couldn't help noticing a brown pelt, not Snakeheart's hiding in the bushes. She shuddered. What was Snakeheart ''really trying to do?'' Something, was certainly amiss. Chapter Four Shadowpaw sighed. She was now back at camp, but her mentor Falconstrike wanted her to go hunting with Frostpaw. The white she-cat was trembling beside her, and Shadowpaw glanced at her, concerned. "What's wrong, Frostpaw?" Shadowpaw's friend glanced at the ground. "Oh... Can we discuss this in the forest?" "Sure." They pad outside, but Frostpaw doesn't seem ready to discuss it. "I.... Shadowpaw, I... I don't really want to discuss it." The black apprentice sighed. "Okay, I won't push, but I'm here for you, Frostpaw. Just remember that." She pressed against the white she-cat, comforting her. Frostpaw stood up. "We should hunt now..." Shadowpaw knew that she wasn't in the mood, but nodded anyways. They hunted for awhile, but nothing seems to pop out. "Want to go back?" Frostpaw doesn't reply. She's staring at a bush, staring at it so intently that Shadowpaw shivered. "Brown pelts in the bush..." "What?" Shadowpaw exclaimed. "What's wrong, Frostpaw?" Her best friend doesn't reply. Frostpaw only shuddered, and raced back to camp. "Wait!" Shadowpaw chased after her. "Hidden, brown pelts! No..." Frostpaw suddenly let out a agonized shriek. "Frostpaw!" Shadowpaw was there in a second. "Frostpaw." She whispered. "What's wrong?" The white she-cat doesn't answer, only shivered uncontrollably. "I can't say... It will only do you harm." Shadowpaw decided not to press, considering Frostpaw had suggested that it would harm her. The hunt ended rather fast, and both were not in the mood to continue. ~*~ Falconstrike padded over. "Shadowpaw, we're going to patrol the borders." She nodded, and stood up to follow her mentor. But something kept tugging at her. She wanted to find that Gray again, and ask him about her mother, but she knew he was dead. Paleflutter. It felt weird to say the name, even in her head. It was the name of her mother, the one who had left them to Snakeheart. Where was she now? Shadowpaw didn't have a clue. She plodded alongside her mentor, and sniffed the ground. Even if they were patroling borders, didn't mean Shadowpaw couldn't search for Gray. He was actually quite a handsome tom. She missed the glimmer of his eyes as he gazed at her. Of course Snakeheart had to ruin all that. Falconstrike instructed. "You know the rules of border patrol. When seeing a rogue, you must stop, and track him. Make sure the rogue is no threat, but do not, I repeat do not, attack the rogue for no reason." Shadowpaw dipped her head. "Of course Falconstrike." "Unless they are hunting, attacking our warriors, or certainly a threat, then we will not harm the rogue. They deserve a just a warning, and a chance to get off our territory. "Now, if you see another Clan on our land, then you alert the leader of the patrol, which is me, and then we work out a plan to attack. "Never, I repeat never, attack when you are outnumbered. Unless you are the best of the best at fighting, then don't go charging into a battlefield. "If you ever scent prey, do not hunt it unless the Clan is starving, because it will distract you from your duty. Our job is to drive away intruders, and to mark the borders. But on that note, we only hunt when coming back from patroling. Got it?" Shadowpaw nodded. "Yes, Falconstrike." The procedures were necessary. ThunderClan had to ensure that the Clan was safe, and that the patrol understood what was to be done to keep ThunderClan safe. She stretched her muscles, feeling the need to run. Her mentor glanced at her, and added. "Don't charge into the forest when patroling. Always sneak quietly around. We live in the forest for a reason. We aren't WindClan cats who only know how to chase rabbits." For some strange reason, Shadowpaw felt the urge to claw Falconstrike for insulting WindClan. That's ridiculous. Shadowpaw thought, I'm not WindClan, I was born a ThunderClan cat! But even that thought felt strange. They padded out for a long time, patroling the areas and making sure the other Clans weren't barging into our territory. But when we got to the WindClan border, I caught a whiff of the moors, and felt... comfortable. The trees are your home, the trees are your home! She thought to herself, You are ThunderClan! But it didn't persuade her, and she continued to sniff at the moor scents. It felt like... home. Shadowpaw shook herself, marked the borders, and dashed after Falconstrike to head back to camp. But she glanced back, and longed to go to the border and cross it. But she was ThunderClan, wasn't she? Chapter Five Pinepaw scuffed the earth, waiting for Sunheart to annouce the patrols. "Okay so, Rainpaw's going to go with Blueflower to patrol, and Ravencaw. Frostpaw, Crowtalon, and..." Pinepaw waited impatiently. Frostpaw was on this patrol, and he had to be on it. He wanted to talk to her so badly, and wanted her to love him back. He was so sure he'd lose the chance, because his mentor Brookheart wasn't called yet. "And... Pinepaw. Oh and Brookheart." Yes! Happiness bloomed in his heart, making warm inside. Yes! He was going on patrol with Frostpaw. This had to be the best day in his life. They padded out, single file, and Ravencaw gave us the patroling instructions. "When hunting, we must stay in pairs, so we do not get lost, and get hurt. No member should walk alone, because the other Clans aren't exactly nice. "Remember to be alert. We have buddies for a reason. They help to keep each other safe. Now that's about it, because hunting isn't the same as border patroling, so now for the pairs. "Pinepaw and Frostpaw, you two will go towards WindClan. And I'll go with Crowtalon a little way behind you two. I want you two to understand how it is like to hunt like this." Pinepaw nodded, oh, this was even better! Frostpaw as his partner. She skipped excitedly towards the WindClan border, and he padded after him. "So... How do you like being an apprentice?" Pinepaw asked her, as they padded towards the border. She glanced at him curiously. "Fine. How about you?" He stuttered. "Oh, er... Great! Um, I love the prey and...-" Oh, why was he so dense? Did he just tell her that he liked the prey? As an apprentice? How embarassing could he get? Frostpaw only smiled politely. "Oh, do you like to hunt?" Pinepaw decided to nod on that one. "I see, the prey does feel a little more flavorful because we caught it. Your own catch perhaps." She mewed, smiling at him. Her affable manner made Pinepaw feel in love. She was so polite, so comfortable with talking. Pinepaw tentatively grinned back, not sure how she did it so perfectly. "So, want to hunt?" "Sure." And they did. Prey after prey, the two cheerfully chased after. Pinepaw certainly loved his day today. "There's a rabbit!" Frostpaw purred. "I'll get it!" Pinepaw shouted, racing after it. Frostpaw sat down to watch, eyes glowing. Pinepaw pushed hard with his hindlegs and leapt after it. He could only think about the wind rushing around him, how good it felt. I could be a WindClan cat... Pinepaw thought, If only Frostpaw would agree, and I wasn't born to be a ThunderClan cat. "Got it!" Pinepaw purred, as he trapped in between his claws. "Great catch!" Frostpaw mewed, brushing against him. "Thanks." He purred, and picked it up. "Squirrel!" Pinepaw hissed, seeing the furry creature scurry around. Frostpaw crouched low. "I'm getting this one." Pinepaw watched as Frostpaw shimmered across the forest floor. She was such at ease here, Pinepaw knew he couldn't ask her to come to WindClan with him. She would hate it. She stalked stealthly through the undergrowth, and gracefully leapt into the squirrel. It chirruped with surprise, and Frostpaw ended its life quickly. "Wow! That was fast, and you're so stealthy in the forest!" Pinepaw exclaimed. Frostpaw licked her fur. "Thanks, Pinepaw. I think you're fast at running! If that squirrel had escaped me, you could have chased it down!" She purred. Pinepaw scooted closer, and sighed. "Only two pieces of prey..." "Leaf-bare is coming." Frostpaw murmured. "We should keep hunting." Pinepaw nodded. And they stalked prey after prey, squirrel, mouse, voles, all theirs. After a good day of hunting, Pinepaw turned to Frostpaw. "Can we talk some other day?" "Sure." Chapter Six Frostpaw stared at the setting sun. She was so sure that Pinepaw, kind, caring Pinepaw, had been under that bush when Snakeheart was talking to her. What was he doing? She curled her tail, think about her day. She had been chosen to patrol with her mentor and Pinepaw's mentor, and of course, Pinepaw. He had been paired with her, and they had hunted. His smile and his brown pelt stood out in her mind. He didn't seem like the cat to slaughter another cat, right? He seemed right down innocent. His father was probably pushing him towards the path of evil, but Pinepaw never seemed happy to go to his father's "training". Frostpaw remembered that morning, where she had been talking to Shadowpaw when Pinepaw had burst in, calling for his sister to hurry. Frostpaw had bid her a good day, and Shadowpaw left. Pinepaw had looked, rushed, and haunted. Like he wanted to get there fast, in order to save his own pelt. Shadowpaw had been more relaxed. She seem to be Snakeheart's favorite, and the one who didn't care what her father did. She wasn't really like Pinepaw. Pinepaw was a caring cat, and his heart seemed pure. Shadowpaw was more of a distant, not so caring she-cat. Frostpaw decided that she would talk to Pinepaw another day. He was certainly a tom worth talking to. Frostpaw sighed, and thought about padding back to camp. She hadn't bothered going back, other than delivering the prey. Now she was staring a stream, staring at her wavering reflection. Her face was solemn, and her fur stuck out in many places. Her tail was laying on the ground, and her blue eyes glowed dully. "Scared to swim?" A voice suddenly hissed. Frostpaw froze, her eyes wide with terror. "Who's there?" Frostpaw whimpered, shrinking back in fear. She didn't know who was hiding, and hated the feeling of being watched. She glanced around, trying to spot the cat speaking. "Are you scared to fall in?" Frostpaw glared around. "Whoever you are, show your face!" Her breath came in sharp gulps, and her lungs heaved for breath. She wanted to run, run, RUN! But she knew whoever this "voice" was, they would catch her. "The river wants you, it wants to sweep you away. You don't belong here, Frostpaw." "Who are you!?" She screamed, curling into a ball, and trying to shut the voice out. "Go away!" She trembled in fear, and couldn't figure out how to escape. "You know you can't fight me, because I'm just a spirit. Don't fight back, just relax." Frostpaw wailed, and started to slip. "Someone help me!" "That's right. Just fall and let the river take you..." And then Frostpaw screamed. She was falling. Really falling. She was going to fall into the stream. A brown pelt whizzed from camp, and raced to her. He grabbed her scruff, and pulled her up. But he wasn't so steady either. "Hold on tight Frostpaw!" And then Pinepaw pulled her up. "Thank you, Pinepaw." She pressed against him, shivering. Thank StarClan Pinepaw had come to her rescue. She would have surely died if he didn't come to her rescue. So who was behind those bushes? Chapter Seven Shadowpaw wandered outside, knowing she had the rest of the day for herself. Her mentor Rainflight was on patrol somewhere, and she didn't have to spend anymore time with Snakeheart today. Out in the forest, she wandered around. She scented for prey, but there seemed to be none. Shadowpaw scraped dirt up with her paw, and sighed. There didn't seem much to do. "Having fun?" Shadowpaw jumped, she whirled around, facing then WindClan border now, and gasped. "Paleflutter?" Was it really possible? After all these moons, she just shows up? Shadowpaw glared at her mother. "How could come here at such a time? After all you have done!" Paleflutter looked at her aughter sadly. "It was my only choice. Snakeheart would have-" "You abandoned us, and now, Snakeheart has control of us, and the Clan! The Clan you left..." Shadowpaw snarled, still refusing to move closer to Paleflutter. Paleflutter's eyes were saddened. "It wasn't like that Shadowpaw. You were born to the moors, to WindClan. Then Snakeheart, who had been exiled from the Clan, took you two to ThunderClan." "And you just returned to WindClan like nothing had happened?" Shadowpaw hissed, ears flat. "What kind of mother are you?" "I tried, Shadowpaw, I tried to keep you both. But Snakeheart took them by force." Paleflutter took a step towards Shadowpaw. But Shadowpaw shrunk away. Paleflutter was an abhorrent creature to her. Paleflutter sighed. "Shadowpaw, I know you think I caused you to have this life, but Snakeheart was the one who took you out of the nursery, and brought you here. He isn't built on good you know." Shadowpaw shook her head. "I don't care if it's his fault or not. The problem is, you didn't'' try'' to get us back. You didn't try to save us before he got us. You never tried to show that you loved us. You aren't a mother to me." Then she turned away. "Wait." Shadowpaw stopped. "What." "Tell Pinepaw, that I'm sorry, and that if he wants, he can come to WindClan to live." Shadowpaw whipped around and snarled. "Why don't you tell that to him yourself? He's loyal to ThunderClan, just like me, and even if you do try, watch your back. Snakeheart is going to know." Then she ran off into the forest, away from her mother, the one who had left them to Snakeheart. Right before she got out of earshot, she heard Paleflutter whisper. "You've turned just like Snakeheart, my beloved daughter." Chapter Eight It's a Gathering today! Pinepaw got so excited, he didn't see Frostpaw ahead of him as he crashed into her. "Oh! Sorry, Frostpaw." She smiled at him. "No problem Pinepaw, I'm excited too." Her eyes sparkled with readiness. He brushed closer. "Do you think we'll be announced?" She nodded. "Probably, usually new apprentices are announced in front of the Clans." She quickly licked her tail before walking on. Pinepaw padded next to her. "Yeah, but we missed the first Gathering. Don't you think Shinestar already announced us?" "Oh... right." She mewed. "We weren't at the first Gathering. Then I don't think we're being announced." She sighed. Pinepaw shrugged. "Oh well, at least we're going together." He froze, oh StarClan, why did he have to say that in front of Frostpaw? She didn't seem to like him yet. And now he just blurted out that he was going to a Gathering with her like a date. Frostpaw looped her tail around his. "Yes, yes we are." She purred as Pinepaw scooted closer. "It's nice and warm tonight for a leafbare Gathering." Frostpaw murmured. "I wonder if there's any big news." "There better be." Pinepaw purred. "We haven't heard much from Gatherings these days." He pressed against Frostpaw, breathing in her fresh scent. "Yeah, but that could mean war. We don't want to have war, do we?" Pinepaw only shrugged. That was true. He didn't want to fight another Clan, especially since he's only had a few training sessions. And if they did? Who would he want to fight? WindClan? No, he loved the moors. RiverClan? They were nothing but fish-eaters. ShadowClan? He didn't care what they did. Frostpaw skipped ahead. "Come on Pinepaw! I see Four Trees ahead!" She squealed, and tried to dash after Shinestar. Ravencaw caught her. "Not so fast! Leaders have to make sure there isn't a lot of cats crowding so we can get there." Pinepaw shuffled nervously, desperately wanting to get to his first Gathering. "Oh, I can't wait!" He whispered to Frostpaw. She nodded vigorously. Then Shinestar yowled her approval, and ThunderClan rushed in. "Wow!" Pinepaw gasped. "There's so many cats here!" Frostpaw stoppd right in the middle, circling around. "Look! So many cats just sharing tongues with other Clans!" Ravencaw and Crowtalon padded over. "Now you two go have fun and chat with other apprentices, as long as you don't give away ThunderClan secrets, okay?" They both nodded, and dashed away shouting in excitement. Pinepaw scurried around, chasing after Frostpaw. "You're new aren't you?" A voice asked him. He turned around, and saw a black she-cat smiling. "You probbaly missed your first Gathering, since you look around ten moons old now." "Hello, I'm Pinepaw, and the white she-cat coming over is Frostpaw." "Hey, I'm Nightpaw, apprentice in WindClan. You're from ThunderClan, correct?" They nodded. "Yeah, in the cozy forest." Nightpaw snorted. "Yeah, in there you mean." She pointed her tail towards the forest, laughing. The Gathering went on for a long time, and there wasn't much that really happened. Frostpaw and Pinepaw sat together, chatting the whole time. To Pinepaw, it had been a fun experience, meeting Nightpaw, and chatting with Frostpaw. What a Gathering. Chapter Nine It was all a start. Frostpaw thought about the night before, meeting Nightpaw, talking with Pinepaw. Oh, he was a true wonder. She had first thought he was with Snakeheart, maybe even trying to harm her, but then his nice talk, his wide smile. He was so friendly. She was hunting outside with Ravencaw, and trying to catch at least five pieces of prey to bring back. Ravencaw was assessing her. Frostpaw spotted a pigeon pecking at seeds, and quickly climbed a tree. She loved using this technique. Leaping silently from tree to tree, Frostpaw crouched on top of the bird. Then she dropped, but miscalculated. She thudded onto the groudn next to the bird, and it squacked away. She growled in frustration, and sighed. Ravencaw padded over. "That was a great move, but you need to make sure you do it right. Like in a battle.." Frostpaw stopped listening. She had heard this "speech" many times, and didn't care. She just wanted to hunt, and go back to camp. "...or else they will claw you. Got it?" Frostpaw nodded, trying to pretend she listened to it all. "Okay, go on and keep hunting." She stalked through the undergrowth, feeling right at home. She saw a vole, scuffling around, and quickly chased after it. It wasn't doing much, and Frostpaw got an easy catch, right on top of it. Then she heard mewling. Frostpaw stood there, ear alert. Someone was talking nearby. She stalked closer, keeping it so the wind blew towards her. She listened closely. "What's wrong Shadowpaw?" Shadowpaw! Her best friend was here. But who was she talking to? Frostpaw tried to peek through the bushed, but with no luck. "Yesterday, Paleflutter came to see me." "Oh? What did she say? Where is she now?" "I'm not sure. But she lied about saving me and everything. She isn't my mother, and she'll never be." "That's good, Paleflutter isn't much anyways. She was so weak, and just ran away from ThunderClan to save her own pelt." "But Snakeheart, I've heard that we came from WindClan." "That's nonsense. Paleflutter tried to take you to WindClan, but you were born here, where you truly lie." "That's what I thought. Paleflutter was bluffing, trying to get me to side with her. As if!" "Good, Shadowpaw. Now we know she's nearby, perhaps she is in ShadowClan?" "I doubt it, I remember she had said something like. 'Tell Pinepaw that I'm sorry and that he could come to WindClan to live with me' Maybe she's near WindClan?" "Possibly, this is good news, Shadowpaw. I will reward you when we get her. Will you join me, Shadowpaw?" "'Course. Paleflutter is nothing to me now. I will gladly help you rid of her." Frostpaw stifled a gasp, hearing that Shadowpaw was trying to annihilate her mother. What has Shadowpaw become? Pinepaw, her brother was nothing like this. Frostpaw was glad that Pinepaw was still the sweet tom that she had first met. But nothing had been more shattering then hearing Shadowpaw say. "I'd kill anyone like her." Chapter Ten Shadowpaw was seething with hate. She hated Paleflutter, hated that pale she-cat for abandoning them. Her and Pinepaw. Surely he would join her in destroying their "mother" completely? She didn't know, she didn't bother asking, as of she was waiting for Snakeheart to come back from his "meeting". She was waiting for info on how to get rid of Paleflutter. "Shadowpaw, you're here." Pinepaw padded out, eyes worried. "Where were you earlier in the morning?" "I was hunting, why." Shadowpaw mewed curtly. "Are you in love with Frostpaw?" She wrinkled her snout. Pinepaw raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care? It's my problem." "Yeah, well, she's my friend." "It doesn't seem like it. All you do is lope around out here. Frostpaw's my friend too." Shadowpaw sighed. "Well, it doesn't matter where I've been, because you seem to much in love with Frostpaw. Plus, she doesn't even talk to me anymore." It was true. Since yesterday afternoon, Frostpaw had been avoiding Shadowpaw, and just talking with Pinepaw the whole time. It was probably some weird love addiction, and Shadowpaw didn't give a mouse-tail to find out what they were doing. She didn't care. Pinepaw shrugged, and just padded away. "I guess you can do what you want." "Of course I can do what I want!" Shadowpaw yowled after her brother. She huffed, and continued to wait for Snakeheart. "Shadowpaw." She heard her father call. She scampered over, and asked. "Did you find her?" Snakeheart snorted. "Find her? No. But I know where she is." "That's finding her! That's great. Where is she?" Shadowpaw's eyes glowed with hatred. Snakeheart swept dust with his tail. "She's protected apparently because she's a coward and is too frightened to fight us. She's in WindClan, where the wind runs, and the moors lay." Shadowpaw turned in circles. "We could go now. And just go and attack her. Then leave! We could get rid of her now." She lashed her tail with anticipation. "No." Snakeheart said. "We will wait, because I want to rid of Pinepaw first. Break him so he understands the meaning of revenge. Like us." Shadowpaw glanced over. "How? How are you going to do that?" "Break him by taking his love." She shrugged. "If I were inmature like him, like I was before, I would care about Frostpaw. But she's avoiding me anyways, so she's just like a mouse. Frightened of everything. What are you going to do." "Trust me, you'll want to see it." He snarled. "We're going to get them both. And you hold down Pinepaw, while I get Frostpaw. Alright?" "Alright." Shadowpaw mewed. "You sure?" Snakeheart asked. "Are you truly willing to sacrifice everything to get back at that non-worthy cat?" "Yes." Shadowpaw mewed. "Yes I am. Ready to do anything." Chapter Eleven Pinepaw was padding out with Frostpaw, purring. "It's great to be out with you." Frostpaw purred too, "It is." The two apprentices padded out into the forest, side by side, murmuring to each other. "You know, out of all the times in my life seeing you, you really light up my heart." Frostpaw tells him. "You were the first cat I truly saw as 'love' you were so perfect, so pure. I loved you from the start." Pinepaw mumured to her. Frostpaw winked at him. "And I can't believe we've gone through so much together now." He nodded. "Yeah, we have." The Pinepaw mewed. "Remember when we were on patrol the first time? I had stammered and lost my control of my tongue. What an embarassment!" Frostpaw laughed. "Yeah, you said you liked the prey better now that you were an apprentice!" He snorted. "So what? I was tongue-tied. Now? I'm perfect with you." "Imperfections is what makes someone perfect." Frostpaw mewed. Pinepaw laughed. "Fine. I'm so imperfect that you love me." He tumbled with Frostpaw on the ground. "Yes! You're so imperfect that I made you say so!" "Imperfect sums you both up." Someone mewed. They stopped playing, and glanced up. "Snakeheart!" Pinepaw snarled. "What are you doing here?" "Inviting you two to play with me. Shall we?" Snakeheart purred, staring coldly at the two apprentices. "Frostpaw, stay back." Pinepaw hissed. "No one is going to harm Frostpaw!" Then he was tackled from behind. What? Who was siding with Snakeheart? "You're a horrible fighter, Pinepaw." He looked up to meet the hostile eyes of his sister. "Shadowpaw! What are you doing." She pushed him aside. "You two are in the way of our plans. We can't rid Paleflutter if you two are still being lovey-dovey. So I'm with Snakeheart. The best way to get at you is to break you." Pinepaw snarled. "No! Don't harm her!" He let out a wail, and Snakeheart laughed. "Nothing's going to stop me, son." And it was truly a scene. Snakeheart had his paw on Frostpaw, who had stop whrithing and was staring at Pinepaw, eyes full of love. Pinepaw tried to fight Shadowpaw, but she easily pinned him down. "Try and stop me." Chapter Twelve Frostpaw knew that she was in danger. She knew that she was going to die. She certainly knew that she would never see Pinepaw as a living cat again. But it still hurt. It still shocked her. It still hit ''her even now. "Shadowpaw... How could you turn like this?" "Oh Frostpaw, I think you know. You were under that bush weren't you? You ''knew what I told Snakeheart. It doesn't matter to me what happens to you. We only want to break Pinepaw. And its too easy to do so." Frostpaw snarled weakly, but turned slightly to catch Pinepaw's eye. I love you. She thought, tears flowing down her muzzle. And I always will. Snakeheart cackled madly, and whispered. "Aren't you a lovely she-cat. I would have gotten you last time, but Pinepaw saved you. So this ''time ''won't save you." Frostpaw shivered. "One day, Pinepaw, you will understand that getting revenge is the sweetest thing in your heart. Once we break you, you'll understand that Paleflutter was the cause of everything you have suffered from." Pinepaw snarled. "It won't be her. It was you two. And I will forever resent you for this." Snakeheart cooed. "It doesn't matter who you resent. It isn't going to stop me from killing her." He started to claw. She shrieked in pain, and wailed. "StarClan help me!" Anyone would have thought Pinepaw had the strength to throw Shadowpaw off, but he couldn't. He yowled his despair to the sky, knowing it was too late to save Frostpaw now. And she knew this too. She was going to die. Snakeheart sneered in her face, laughing. "This is too easy, fight she-cat!" But Frostpaw was rapidly losing her strength. She glanced at Pinepaw one last time, and saw him throw off Shadowpaw. His anguished look broke her heart, and she swore that she heard him whisper. "I'm so sorry Frostpaw." Then he turned and fled towards the WindClan border. The winds sang to her, and she heard I love you, Frostpaw. I'm sorry you had to die. But she thanked Pinepaw. You gave me peace. I love you too, Pinepaw. And then, with that thought, Frostpaw died. Epilogue Pinefrost lived in WindClan now. But he still remembered that she-cat he once loved. Frostpaw. He knew she died, and was now in StarClan, watching over him. He had Paleflutter, who comforted him everyday. She told him stories about WindClan, and tried to soothe his heart. But it never truly mended. Pinefrost loathed his sister, Shadowfire, and his father, Snakeheart. They had killed Frostpaw, trying to break him. In the end, they had. They had broken him, but he didn't want to join them. Now in WindClan, he was a loyal warrior, running the moors like he was supposed to. It was more than he had ever wanted. Now if only Frostpaw was still at his side. He wished that she could have gotten a warrior name. Night after night, he would pretend he was leader, and tell her. "I give you the warrior name of Frostwing, Frostdove." But nothing seemed to work. But he knew she was fine iwth Frostpaw. It was a peaceful ngiht, and Pinefrost knew something was going to happen. But he didn't care anymore. It was time they came anyways. ThunderClan poured into WindClan camp, and among the first ones were Snakeheart and Shadowfire. Eyes glowing with hate, Pinefrost jumped right into the battle. It was over in a few seconds. Pinefrost pinned down by Snakeheart, Shadowfire watching. He snarled in Pinefrost's face. "You will regret running away, kit." In a tremulous voice, Pinefrost whispered. "Do what ever you want. At least I get to see Frostpaw again." And so it ended. Pinefrost died at the paws of Snakeheart, and the two came back together, happy, and at peace. The end. A little Authors Note You won't ever see what happens to the rest of the characters. It just ends like this. Hope you enjoyed it! I <3 writing this, so thanks for reading! I changed my mind, I decided to make a sequel :) Flutters Fans! Sign Down Here! Luna- The Ultimate Fan of Mapleshade- I luv this story! =D [[User:Bluestar&Brightheart|''Hush Now]][[User talk:Bluestar&Brightheart|' Close Your Eyes Before The Sleep]] 16:58, November 17, 2013 (UTC) Is it wrong that I'm still obsessed? But in the end... it doesn't even matter. - Love it! :D [[User:Warriorlover12345|I can't understand how any of you failed to see the]]B L O O D...-Ashfur 20:05, November 24, 2013 (UTC) There are no words to describe how much I hate Shadowfire and Snakeheart!!!!! Why should you live for your dreams,When your dreams are NIGHTMARES?| 18:53, January 5, 2014 (UTC) Oh, Mike Cat's gone- I'm Mal Cat- And I Let You Fall... 01:33, January 10, 2014 (UTC) I don't know how to put my signature in but i love it. - DarkMidnightHowl8642 Nice :D ----You've Got to Leave the GroundTo Learn to Fly... 01:43, January 13, 2014 (UTC) Why isn't the battery life on an iPod calledAPPLE JUICE? 01:59, January 13, 2014 (UTC) Awesomeness! [[User:Peregrinefalcon|'And the day came... ]]when the riskTo Leap Into Fireto[[To Leap Into Fire|'' remain tigh ]]t in a bud[[To Leap Into Fire| ''was more ]] painful than the risk it took to blossom. '' There, see, now I have :D (Also, I think I'm the only person on this list who doesn't have a cool siggie, which is why I'm not leaving one XD ) ~Moon Epictastical! -- 22:55, March 26, 2014 (UTC) [[User_talk:AvengedSevenfoldGirl|''Death is a promise and my life is a lie~~]] 01:08, March 27, 2014 (UTC) That awkward moment when you see twins fighting and one calls the other ugly. [[User:Seabreeze123|~'S''''e'a'']] 03:07, March 30, 2014 (UTC) Category:Cchen3's Fanfics